Markers

“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”

–Romans 12:9-10

As we begin to see the turning of the seasons from summer into fall, I was thinking how every season has its markers to show and tell what time of year it is.

Fall is marked with the beautiful turning of the trees, the smell of apple pies, the sweet taste of apple cider, leaf piles and the carving of pumpkins.

Winter is marked with shorter days of light, seeing your breath in the cold air, snow creations, and snow falls that can blanket the ground and look like diamonds glistening under the winter sunshine.

Spring is marked with the return of new life as tulips and crocuses pop from the ground into beautiful flowers and the birds return.

The marks of summer are longer days of light, the smell of grill outs, sweet corn dripping with butter, and abundant produce.

Our lives as Christians have markers also. The Apostle Paul gives us some hints in his letter to the Romans of what marks us as Christian people of faith…genuine love, hating evil, holding tightly to good, loving one another, and showing honor to one another. That’s a pretty good list, but certainly not complete. What are other markers of the Christian faith and life do you possess or see in others?